[Dec. 1, 2016] POMONA, Calif. – One of the country’s leading consumer advocacy groups recently rated Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center far worse than the national rate in three areas of patient safety, such as avoiding surgical site infections and avoiding bacterial infections of Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

According to a new study released by Consumer Reports, an independent non-profit organization, Pomona Valley had the following problems during 2015:

• The hospital reported nine MRSA infections in 106,944 days its patients spent in the hospital, a figure which is 129 percent worse than national rates;

• The hospital reported 12 surgical-site infections in 428 surgical procedures among its patients, a figure which is 49 percent worse than national rates; and

• The hospital reported 97 C.diff. infections in 76,919 days its patients spent in the hospital, a figure which is 44 percent worse than national rates.

“This latest research supports workers’ concerns that the hospital needs to step up its training and improve patient care,” said Maria Heredia, a housekeeper at Pomona Valley. “Patients have enough on their mind when they come into the hospital without having to worry about acquiring an infection, too.”

C.diff. is a highly contagious infection that causes severe diarrhea and is fatal in 6.5 percent of patients, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). MRSA is a bacterial infection that is resistant to many antibiotics, which makes it tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus – or Staph. As a result, it’s often called a “super bug” and the CDC considers it a “serious threat,” with a 14 percent mortality rate.

Workers at the hospital are determined to improve patient care and voted in January 2016 to have a strong voice and join SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW). However, the hospital has repeatedly refused to recognize their vote. More than 1,100 Pomona Valley Hospital employees are affected.